Twilight
by ag-sasami
Summary: To fight love or fight for love? It's your decision if the shadow's hold will break....YY Shounen-Ai...[Complete]
1. Verse and Chorus One

Okay…this is my first real attempt at fan fiction…please R&R! Seriously, if it's horrible tell me. [Don't flame it just because you don't like the pairing though.] The only pairing here is going to be Yami/Yuugi. *^^ Yaoi warning! There isn't anything specifically in this chapter, but if the thought of two guys in love with each other disturbs you, TURN BACK NOW!!!! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

**_Verse One:_**

Yami held his head in his hands running his slender fingers through his unruly hair. As usual, his black hair with its strikingly red tips stood straight up in spikes. Even his blonde bangs and the blonde that streaked through his ebony tresses were being uncooperative. With closed eyes and a deep breath, the pharaoh attempted to clear his cluttered mind. __

_I was stained with a role,_

Unfortunately, he found it nearly impossible as the silence in his head was deafening. Shadows stirred in the corners of his mind, silently yelling at him. Theirs was an ancient language, inaudible to all save the pharaoh and any connected directly to his mind. 

_In a day not my own_

They had been locked up for far long enough and wished to be out; Yami was their possession! He must be obedient! These cries enraged their host. This night they were especially infuriating as Yami wished for his hikari to remain asleep. He needed to rest uninterrupted. Yuugi had been concerned for his yami recently to the point of causing himself fatigue. 

The two were connected. Two parts of one, centered on the damn Sennen puzzle. It was Yami's obligation…no…his desire to protect Yuugi, not the other way around.

_But as you walked into my life_

With the clamor in his head, all the distractions, Yami feared he might let the barrier slip in the mind link with his aibou, permitting the young man to hear the shadows' screams. It had never been a problem before, but tonight the shrieks were almost overpowering. He felt control over the shadow magics slipping from him slowly –increasingly each day. They were drawing power from another source, or perhaps, just perhaps, from within their own consciousness. 

_You showed what needed to be shown_

_I always knew what was right_

Desperate as the situation was growing, Yami did not wish to upset his treasured aibou. Nothing was more important to him than Yuugi; not the shadows' power (as that was once his focus in life), not stopping their current power, not even his own life meant as much to him as did that of his hikari's.

_I just didn't know that I might _

Yami was fond of Yuugi. Truth be told, it was more than fondness, and he was well aware of that lingering fact. It led his every move anymore. Nevertheless, he was a pharaoh, and had no experience with love as a valid emotion. The result was a persistent feeling of vulnerability that upset and excited the darker half. Security was invaluable to one in such a position as the pharaoh, although it was not expected to come from an emotion. Rather, one would expect the endless protection offered to him to suffice in creating such an atmosphere. But here –here in the presence of a young man centuries less experienced, Yami felt more security than the all the warriors in the world could offer him.

_Peel away and choose to see_

_With such a different sight_

Never in his life had he felt such emotion, and the two in conjunction was irresistible. When Yami thought of his aibou he felt exposed. As if every thought and feeling was evident to the world. Yet, there was the comforting knowledge that they never would be witnessed by any apart from Yuugi…

**__**

**_Chorus:_**

_And I will never see the sky the same way_

Looking away from his hikari who slept soundly in the bed, Yami gazed out the paned window. Rain had always left him depressed. To Yami, it was a symbol of limitation; even the sun, most powerful light on earth, could not break the barrier of clouds and rain that covered the earth. Yet, under the gentle influence of his aibou, he was considering that perhaps Yuugi was more accurate in his symbolism. The impenetrable darkness was more like protection than limitation, as Yami was to Yuugi. Darkness protects the light. 

And I will learn to say goodbye to yesterday 

The time had come. Whatever danger was on the horizon made little difference to Yami at this point. The past was just that. History was to be remembered, not dwelled upon; it had come and gone, and it was time to move on. In this life, Yami was not supreme ruler, nor was he the puppet of an ancient magic. He was simply the protector of the young man who slept soundly across the room. His aibou. His hikari. The reason for his new life.

_And I will never cease to fly if held down_

Shadows tore at his mind as he turned his thoughts and sight from the window back to Yuugi. They threatened to destroy Yuugi in his sleep, to steal his soul while he rested in Yami's arms. Yami reminded the shadows forcefully that Yuugi had completed the puzzle and was therefore beyond their grasp. Likewise, the shadows reminded Yami that they would not be imprisoned much longer. He could not protect his hikari forever. Puzzle or no puzzle, his would be the first soul to depart.

_And I will always reach too high, 'cause I've seen_

Quickly leaving the window, Yami settled down beside Yuugi in the bed. 'Be gone!' he shouted within his mind. At his command, the shadows departed, leaving only a manic laughter echoing in their wake. Yuugi stirred slightly in his sleep at Yami's arrival, sliding closer to the warmth his darkness offered. They shared a bed merely to keep Yami nearby if the need for his protection arose, but never so close as this. A tender smile graced Yami's lips. __

_Cause I've seen, twilight_

He slid closer to his aibou. Yuugi's back was pressed against him, and Yami could feel the steady beat of his hikari's heart against his chest. Placing one arm protectively around Yuugi's waist, Yami buried his face in the hair of his lighter half and drifted into a light sleep.

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So what did you think??? Let me know, honestly.

Aibou: protected one [from what I gather…if that's not right let me know too please.]

Hikari: light


	2. Verse and Chorus Two

Yea! Thank you all who left me reviews already! *cries* I wasn't expecting people to read it already. Ooooh! Thank you for correcting my translation too. *^^  This is going to be a short fic…just 4 chapters. I promise my next story will be longer. Okay then let's get to it! As always, please R&R.

I don't own Yu-gi-oh…but I'm beginning to wish I did…*^^

**Yaoi warning: **Yes, there will be some Yaoi…not anything graphic…not in this story at least, but if two guys in love bugs you, then get out…this is your only warning…

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**_Verse Two:_**

**__**

Yuugi awoke at some point in the night to someone yelling. After listening carefully, he decided it had been a dream; the only sound he heard now was his yami's slow steady breathing. Something else had woken him as well; he was warm, much warmer than usual. Still groggy and half asleep, Yuugi tried to roll over to get more comfortable. It was then he recognized the extra heat.  

_Never cared never wanted_

He was shocked to find Yami sleeping behind him, arms wrapped around his own slender torso. Fully awake now, Yuugi tried to move from out of the embrace. However, he quickly changed his mind and settled back against the warm body of his sleeping yami. 'I just don't want to wake him.' Yuugi tried to convince himself, knowing he stayed because he was not at all uncomfortable in their current position. While smiling to himself and blushing softly in the darkness, Yuugi thought that perhaps Yami was more interested in the relationship than he let on.  

_Never sought to see what flaunted_

Yami had seemed cold and more than a little difficult to get along with at the beginning. Hell, who could blame him? Having your soul split apart for centuries was bound to do that to a person. He had been bitter and aggressive, not towards Yuugi, but to anyone around who had an extra second to be verbally attacked. So much time had past since Yuugi completed the puzzle, since he and Yami were united, he hadn't even noticed the slow changes in Yami's personality.  

_So on purpose so in my face_

There was something gentle about him now. It had happened slowly, over the few years they had been together. Gradually, Yuugi saw his bitterness towards the puzzle melt into gratitude that it had brought them together. Moreover, Yami's aggression gave way to a desire for companionship, which he found in Yuugi. In the presence of his yami, in the danger he represented, Yuugi found support and stability he had never experienced or expected. It was a give and take relationship, and he never anticipated anything else.

Until now…

_Couldn't see beyond my own place_

Here, here in the secure embrace of Yami, Yuugi realized he was content. There was no fear of being betrayed or beaten. Yami had stopped Yuugi's aggressors early on. No fear of loss. Yami promised Yuugi and his family would be safe, which included his friends as well. Still, a shadow of doubt pulled at his mind. There was no love in the relationship. Yes, there was friendship, and respect, and loyalty, but there was no love. It was something Yuugi could not live without: that feeling of undying safety in the arms of one and only one. Questions arose in his mind at such thoughts. Why would he believe such a feeling? Of course there was love. A friendship could not grow without it. Besides, if there were no love between the two of them, then why would his yami lower his defenses for Yuugi? This act of protection or whatever it was tonight would never be seen had Yami not felt love or trust. 

_It was so easy not to behold what I could hold_

'How could I have missed it?' he sighed to himself. Jou had been telling him for a long time he was too naive. Apparently, it was true. He had gone for weeks, months, maybe years without realizing how his Yami felt. It took such an intimate action as he displayed tonight to make him realize it. 

_But you taught me I could change _

_Whatever came within these shallow days_

**_Chorus:_**

Or perhaps something else caused such a strong reaction in Yami. He had been acting oddly recently, always on edge and extremely anxious. It was too late at night to worry about it. Yuugi thought he heard something like laughter in the back of his mind.

Besides, Yuugi liked the idea of Yami being in love with him. He felt himself blush again at the thought. If he was, it wasn't a one-sided emotion. Yuugi felt it too.

_And I will never see the sky the same way_

He no longer wanted to be secretive about it. 'But what if I'm wrong? What if he doesn't feel the same?' Insecurity he thought long gone washed over the lighter half. Suddenly, he wished his yami were awake to tell him everything would be fine. No. He had to know he was stronger than that. He had to be sure that he would not have to rely on Yami for everything. Needy was something he never wanted to be again. Yami had made him stronger, and he wanted to stand on his own now.

_And I will learn to say goodbye to yesterday_

Yami groaned in his sleep and tightened his embrace around his hikari. Yuugi heard yelling again, though he could not make out the words. Realization hit him hard. The yelling and laughter was in his mind, or more likely Yami's. Something was definitely wrong. Again, he realized it was late and there was little he could do to aid his yami. Instinctively he snuggled as close as he could to his companion knowing all he _could _do was be there. Pulling an arm out of the embrace, he placed it on top of Yami's own.

_And I will never cease to fly if held down_

_And I will always reach too high, 'cause I've seen_

His sudden closeness quieted his yami's restlessness. When he was sure Yami was sleeping peacefully again, he took Yami's hand and placed his own in it, intertwining their fingers. Only then did he allow himself to drift back to sleep. Light fading into darkness… 

_'Cause I've seen, twilight_

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Woo. That took a while to write. *^^ hehehe...I promise the next chapter will be better. Please look forward to it! Thanks again to everyone who fixed my translations.


	3. Verse and Chorus Three

Woohoo! We're onto chapter three already! Only one left to go. I won't keep you from it any longer…

I do not own Yu-gi-oh. I'm still trying to find out why not.

**Yaoi warning:**For those of you who don't know what Yaoi is…that means guy x guy love among other things…if you don't like it then don't read…you probably shouldn't even be this far into my story if you don't appreciate it…*^^

/Yuugi to Yami/…//Yami to Yuugi//  [Those are for conversations in their minds in case you didn't know.]  

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**_Verse Three:_**

**__**

**__**

Yuugi awoke with the sun in his eyes and a cold bed. He was a little disappointed that Yami was already up, though it occurred to him that Yami probably was not aware that Yuugi had been awake last night. Quietly coming down stairs, Yuugi found his yami sitting at the kitchen table, his back Yuugi, with a coffee cup in hand. /Since when do you drink coffee?/ Yuugi wrapped his arms gently around Yami's neck, nearly causing his darker half to spill the contents of his cup all over himself.

//Since when do you scare people this early in the morning?//  Yami found it difficult to curb the smirk that threatened to emerge on his face. 'Scare' was perhaps not the correct word to use. Shock would have been better; Yami was not expecting such an uncharacteristic display of affection, and especially not this early in the morning.

/You left the bed cold Yami…/ Yuugi suppressed a giggle as his yami nearly choked on the coffee. 

_As the sun shines through it pushes away _

//What exactly do you mean by that? I am always up before you.// The question was poorly masked, and Yuugi caught the comprehension behind the innocent tone of his yami. When Yami woke up to find Yuugi's hand in his own that morning, he had hoped it had been involuntary. He wasn't ready for his hikari to know how he felt. Sitting down beside him, Yuugi continued.

"No point in going around it I guess…What's wrong Yami?" 

"Nothing hikari." He focused intently on his empty coffee cup. Nothing could make him look at his hikari when he was lying so openly. It only made him feel guilty, another emotion he did not deal with well. Such a response was not exactly what Yuugi had hoped for. Furrowing his brow, Yuugi reached out and grasped Yami's hand in his own.

"Yami…" Looking at his hikari was definitely not a good idea, which Yami realized to late. Those brilliant amethyst eyes of his held such earnest concern, he could not help but reply.

//Aibou…it will only hurt you. You have worried for me enough recently.// He squeezed his hikari's hand affectionately.

_And pushes ahead_

"It hurts me more not to know what causes you such anxiety!"  He could feel his voice rising involuntarily and his eyes welling up with tears. Quickly, he pulled his hand away and stood. 

"Hikari. I am supposed to protect you. How can I possibly keep you from fear if you insist upon knowing this?" Yami's voice rasped dangerously in his throat as he lowered his voice. Despite his yami's attempt to calm him, Yuugi could feel himself becoming more emotional as he spoke.

"It is not your job to protect me from my fears!" Yami winced slightly, though Yuugi could not tell if it was from his words or something else. Suddenly, the laughter from last night crept into his mind. /Yami./ When he received no response Yuugi tried again. /Yami…I can hear them./ At these words, Yami looked up.

_It fills the warmth of blue_

_And leaves a chill instead and_

For the first time since they had been together, Yuugi saw something in his yami's eyes he never wanted to see again. Fear. "You can what?"

"I can hear them…Please! Tell me what's wrong, Yami…"

"Very well. You must forgive me hikari."  Yami stood up and walked over to the couch, beckoning Yuugi to follow. He looked exceptionally worn out. "If you can hear them now, there is no purpose in hiding it anymore."

_I didn't know that I could be_

"The shadows are growing in strength, but I do not know where there power is coming from. They could be creating it themselves somehow for all I know. For quite some time now, they have been taunting me, casting doubt and confusion upon me in hopes of gaining power from myself. Until now, I have managed to keep their voices from you, but it has been a strain on me mentally. Apparently, I cannot continue to do so. What is more, as their power grows, their threats become more ambitious. 

"My life means nothing to them because they cannot kill their host past or present. However, they can make my life meaningless for me as well…"  A sigh escaped his lips. It was apparent to Yuugi that Yami did not want to continue with his story.

/Yami. I need to know. I can't help you unless you finish the story./

_So blind to all that is so real_

//You do not understand hikari…you cannot help me even if you know the end.// That was not what Yuugi wanted or expected to hear. Regret, grief, and absolute defeat filled Yami's voice so thoroughly that the hikari thought his heart might break.

"Aibou." Never had Yami called him that outside of their minds, the gravity of the situation falling upon him at that moment. "They threatened your life. If the shadows break free, I cannot protect you from them. Yuugi, you will die."

_But as illusion dies_

_I see there is so much to be revealed_

**_Chorus:_**

**__**

His voice was panicked. Yami had been so focused on finishing his revelation that for a moment he had forgotten the shadows. However, they did not forget him. Using the second when his defenses were down, the shadows attacked. As Yuugi let the enormity of the danger they were in settle, he felt a pain in his head. 

Breathing hard with his eyes clenched tightly shut, Yami fought desperately to silence the shadows to no avail. Yuugi could hear their every word, every threat, and every insult. Above all else, he felt Yami trying to shut them down, but the force behind him was not strong. It had been planned all along. Shadows had exhausted him, lying in wait for a moment of weakness when they could claim his mind.

_And I will never see the sky the same way_

Yami would fall under their control! The pharaoh was their possession! No one would deprive them of his power, especially not such a young man. //Hikari! Close your mind!// Fear was upon him. Before this, he had felt no fear; but he believed that all the fear he never experienced had been waiting for this very second in time to consume him. Unless he continued to fight, he would lose his hikari. Nothing else mattered.

Yuugi caught his yami as he stumbled forward. He couldn't remember when the man had stood up. The screams of the shadows had become so loud in Yuugi's head, he was forced to grit his teeth against the pain. Taking as much of Yami's weight on himself as was possible, Yuugi led him up the stairs. He wanted desperately to tell his darkness it would be okay, but he had closed his mind as he was told. Yami's condition deteriorated with every stair they climbed.

_And I will learn to say goodbye to yesterday_

_And I will never cease to fly if held down_

When Yuugi had at last reached their room at the top of the stairs, he laid Yami down in the bed. From that moment on, Yami did not appear to be conscious. The only indication that he was still alive was the occasional jerk of his body, and the screams of the shadows that still ricocheted through Yuugi's head. Tears spilled down his face unhindered. He might lose his beloved yami, and he couldn't save him. To think that all of this was over him.__

_And I will always reach too high, 'cause I've seen_

An eerie silence abruptly filled the room. After a moment, Yuugi realized room wasn't the only thing silent. The screaming had ceased, but much to his dismay, it had been replaced by the all too familiar laughter of the shadows. Not only was it getting louder, it sounded triumphant. The hikari looked desperately at his now unmoving yami. His breathing was painfully shallow, almost nonexistent. 

/YAMI!!!/

_Cause I've seen, twilight_

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How was that? Tee hee *^^ Sorry, I just could not resist. I'll try to have the last chapter up before the weekend is over. As always, please R&R. 

What do you think? Will it/should it have a happy or a sad ending. I'm a sucker for both…hehehehe 

Maybe Yuugi should give up on Yami and go off to be a pirate…mmmm…Pirates of the Caribbean…sorry I'm only joking!!!! *^^


	4. Verse and Chorus Four

Well, we've reached the end of the story. Hooray! I finished one whole fanfic. *^^ Anyway, I will have another one posted soon. It's done, I just have to type it up. So without further ado, the conclusion of **_Twilight.   _**[I changed the style to drama rather than angst, as there hasn't been too much of it.]

I do not own Yu-gi-oh. I've decided that it's not mine because everyone else wants it too…

**Yaoi warning: **This story contains a male x male relationship. If you don't like, don't read. Hehehehe…I could have rated this PG-13 for a warning like that, but I decided that R was more fun…yum.

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**_Verse Four:_**

**__**

Little did Yuugi know that the events of that morning were only the start of what was to be the longest day of his life.

//Ra…aibou, you're a foot away, there's no need to scream.// Yuugi looked up to see Yami smiling weakly at him, though his breathing was still rather erratic.

"I thought I'd lost you!" The younger half climbed onto the bed, almost entirely on top of Yami, [a/n: *glomp*] threw his arms around his neck, and buried his nearly tear stained face into the other's neck. "Don't ever do that again! Yami, I can't live without you!" He had not meant Yami to hear those words yet, but what was done could not be reversed.

"Ssshh…no more of your tears for me. I promise, I'm not going anywhere aibou…I-I love you too much to leave." He murmured in Yuugi's ear as he pulled him closer. Likewise, he had not been quite ready to tell his hikari the secret that he had been keeping; nonetheless, there it was.

_I was stained by a role_

"If you won, why were the shadow's so happy? You did win didn't you?" the young man's voice whispered out full of fear.

"Because hikari, they know I cannot win the next time. It took most of my strength to stop them. Once they have reenergized, they will return to finish me off." Yuugi sat in silence for a few minutes, letting Yami's final words sink into his mind. As he turned his head to look at the pharaoh to reply, he realized that once more, he had slipped into unconsciousness. The remainder of the day continued as such: Yami slipping in and out of awareness muttering incoherently every so often, with Yuugi always by his side. Quite sometime after the moon had risen, Yuugi, who was seated on the bed beside his yami, felt another hand in his own. 

/Yami…/ the aforementioned shook his head gently, shifting both his and Yuugi's position so he could look the hikari in the eyes. 

"Not like that, not at present hikari. My mind needs further rest. Now, I need you to promise me you'll be here when I wake up. It is going to take more power than I have to stop the shadows this time, but I'll be stronger with you beside me." He brushed away a stray tear that had made its way down Yuugi's delicate face.

_In a day not my own_

"Didn't you tell me that the shadows couldn't kill you?"

"They can't aibou, but they can break my mind to keep me from protecting you. I will _not_ lose you."

"Rest now." Was all Yuugi said as he curled up beside Yami, head resting over his heart. Though slightly taken aback, [a/n: you would think they would stop being shocked by affection at some point…*^^] Yami rested his arm around his hikari's waist as he had the night before. He caught the smaller one's blush as he felt his yami's heart begin to race.

'I hope I was not too late in telling him how I felt.' Yami thought, trusting it was only to himself. 

_But as you walked into my life_

Yuugi's head ached torturously. The clock on his desk illuminated a glaring three a.m. [a/n: is it just me, or does everything exciting in stories happen at three a.m.?]. It took a sharp throb in his head to bring him fully to his senses. A groan escaped his lips as he rolled over, realizing Yami was not close beside him anymore. The sight that met his eyes almost made him physically sick. 

Yami was curled up in a fetal position with his back to Yuugi. Normally, Yami's hair stood up in natural spikes, but it was currently plastered to his face in a cold sweat, his hands clenched tightly through it. His hair was not the only part of him that was sweating, and his clothes stuck to him like a second skin. Pain surged through Yuugi's head with every gasp and ragged breath of his yami. Fate was working against them once more, and Yuugi realized the pain in his head was from the return of the shadows. By a miracle of will by his yami, however, he was spared a good deal of the pain. Wincing at the pain and fighting the nausea that rocked through him as he sat up, Yuugi rolled Yami onto his back. The ordinarily vibrant scarlet of his eyes was dulled to a strange auburn hue. They were glazed over as he stared vacantly at the ceiling. 

_You showed what needed to be shown_

"Yami, come on. Come back to me." Within his mind, he could feel his yami's grasp slipping away. Judging by the pain, it was happening faster than Yami could react to block it. He cupped Yami's face in his trembling hands, feeling the tears flowing freely down his face all over again.

"Aibou-" Yami rasped as he took hold of Yuugi's hands weakly into his own. Something stirred in his mind as he stared into his hikari's eyes. Again, he forced a barrier between their minds to save his protected one some pain. It broke Yuugi's heart to see his strong and fearless yami reduced to his current state by a force he could not see. Yami's eyes fluttered, and his hold on Yuugi's hands fell even weaker as his mental struggle pulled him back out of consciousness.

/Yami! Don't leave me. I love you!/ the words of the young man once more pulled Yami back into an unstable consciousness. Yet again, he forced open his weary eyes so he could look at his precious aibou.

"You don't know-how much I wanted to hear that, hikari." It took his entire remaining cognizance to whisper the remaining words to Yuugi. Words he should have spoken long ago. "I love you more than you can imagine. Forgive me-I should have told you sooner, aibou…" Yuugi could feel him slipping away again. His mind was in too weak a state to fight back, and the power he drew from his body to compensate left him agonizingly weak and dangerously close to a fate Yuugi did not wish to consider. 

_I always knew what was right_

"Don't give in Yami! You promised you wouldn't leave me again." Whispers of the breaking heart fell on deaf ears. While the shadows could not kill Yami directly, Yuugi feared that the physical and mental strain of the battle would do accomplish that task for them. Panic surged through his mind and body. Thinking back to Yami's assurance that he would be stronger with his hikari beside him, Yuugi did the only thing he could think of. Positioning himself above Yami and taking his face in his hands once more, Yuugi pressed their lips together firmly, praying that it would accomplish something. It had occurred to him that if being near his yami gave him power, then perhaps something more intimate would be particularly effective. It worked far better than he had hoped. Nevertheless, he was more than slightly disappointed that his, no, _their_ first kiss did not involve two conscious parties.*

_I just didn't know that I might_

Despite the immense pleasure of having Yami's lips pressed against his own, he had not counted on the pain he experienced from it. Unconscious or not, the action had caused Yami to drop the barrier between their minds, allowing the full force of the shadows' power penetrate Yuugi's mind. He pulled back instantly from the kiss to let out a cry of pain. There was no question in his mind as to how the battle could be such a physical effort. The pain he felt only moments before had been a fraction of what Yami had been suffering intermittently for hours and what he now felt as well. 

/Leave him! He doesn't need your power anymore./ the angered cries of the hikari startled the shadows. No one, save the pharaoh, had ever spoken to them directly before either by choice or incapability. Instead of ceasing their attack, they turned it on the defenseless hikari, reprieving Yami briefly from his pain. /Yami…/ Yuugi clenched his teeth together against the throb in his head. Sharp pain pulsed through his skull as he felt the shadows tearing at his mind. Tears flowed freely now, splashing down the face of his Yami who still lay unconscious beneath him, as he yelled at both Yami and the shadows. /Please stop…Yami, come back…I need you…/

_Peel away and choose to see_

Yami felt himself slipping once more. Somewhere along the way, he knew he would lose the battle. Yet, as he fought both in and out of consciousness, he couldn't concede defeat. Every time he opened his eyes, there was Yuugi fighting along beside him. He was also aware of the kiss Yuugi had given so selflessly. The only thing he could never ask of the one he lived for. 

Under normal circumstances, not only would such an action be welcomed, but extremely satisfying. Such simple but intimate contact between yami and hikari left all barriers unchecked, regardless of their wishes, leaving their minds utterly exposed to one another; however, if one suffered pain during such a situation, it would be experienced in full force by both involved rather than just one. Yami wanted so desperately to keep pain away from Yuugi. Nothing could have made Yami ask him to take part of that pain away, to give up some of his strength to save his other half. Still, Yuugi had done so of his own accord. Had he the strength at that moment to perform such a task, Yami would have returned the kiss immediately, and bitterly cursed the shadows for keeping him from such ecstasy.

_With such a different sight_

During this time, Yami had also become aware that the shadows had redirected their heated attack against his hikari. As he floated back to consciousness, a result of the halt of mind wrenching attacks, he felt tears streaming down his face. Only when he opened his eyes did he realize the tears were not his own.

**__**

**_Chorus:_**

"It hurts." Yuugi gasped as more tears fell onto Yami's face. The breath Yami had been trying to take caught in his throat as he felt his hikari's fresh tears hit his face. 

"Why, aibou?" the strength he had lost was quickly returning to his body, owing to the adrenaline that now accompanied it. He hoped beyond hope that he could keep Yuugi distracted from the pain long enough to regain a substantial amount.

"Because I love you. I didn't get to experience life with you while you knew it, and I won't let you go now. If you died, how could I go on?" he whispered laboriously. His amethyst eyes were developing a glossy appearance, and his arms were trembling with the effort it took to keep himself elevated in his protective stance over Yami. 

_And I will never see the sky the same way_

"Hold on hikari. Only a little longer."  Just when Yuugi felt as though he was gong to succumb to the shadows, he felt Yami grab the front of his shirt. Pulling him down into the kiss Yami had longed to return, Yami screamed at the shadows, putting behind him all the power he could gather from Yuugi and himself.

//LET HIM GO! HE IS THE PURPOSE I SEEK. YOU HOLD NO POWER HERE, NOW BE GONE!// Both felt power coursing through their bodies, and the light that emanated  from within their minds drove the shadows back. Now powerless, and quite unwilling to fight back against such immense power that was created from nothing, they cowered in the farthest reaches of the puzzle and Yami's mind.

_And I will learn to say goodbye to yesterday_

_And I will never cease to fly if held down_

Yuugi collapsed from sheer exhaustion on top of his yami, their ragged breath the only audible sound in the room. He buried his face in the place where Yami's neck and shoulder met, nuzzling his neck affectionately, as Yami wrapped his arms around him without reservation. After what was quite possibly hours, Yami rolled over so that he was now resting on top of his smaller half. 

Brushing away the golden bangs that fell into Yuugi's beautiful eyes, Yami kissed him again. This time, instead of ending quickly, as was the fate of the last two attempts, the kiss was long and filled with the love and passion both had hidden away over time. Yami ran his tongue lightly across Yuugi's lips, gently taking hold of the bottom one in his mouth before moving on. He relished the taste of his beloved hikari as he explored the inside of his mouth eagerly. His taste wasn't the only thing Yami wanted to remember, and as the kiss remained, he committed to memory every bit of Yuugi's mouth. He tasted like innocence. It was simple and strong, with the sweet lingering taste of the first snow of winter on your tongue; yet it consumed like a fire, burning eternally in the mind of whomever it touched.

_And I will always reach too high, 'cause I've seen_

Though startled by the sudden and unsullied action of his yami, Yuugi did not refuse the kiss –the first real kiss he could call his own- rather, he drank in the taste of him with delight. The flavor was distinct, and beyond anything Yuugi had imagined; it was carnal and sultry, somewhat reminiscent of an exotic spice, sweet, hot, and overwhelming, influencing a sense of safety in the one who tasted it. When they finally broke the kiss out of an obligation to breathe, Yuugi stared into Yami's captivating crimson eyes.

/What was that for?/ he sighed with contentment.

//I wanted to know what you tasted like when we were both conscious.//

_'Cause I've seen twilight…_

_*~Owari~*_

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So there you have it. I seriously considered having Yami die right there in the middle. But, I couldn't bring myself to kill him…*^^  

*Was it just me, or did that whole scene seem too damn near to becoming a lemon? Hahaha! Gomen ne! Maybe in the next story…

Okay then. As always, please R&R. Thank you to everyone who has already! 


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